In the pantry: Vanilla

The most common association to vanilla is ice cream. But where exactly does the vanilla flavour come from and that is used to help bring a floral sweetness to many desserts including ice cream, cakes, puddings, and custards? Derived from vanilla orchids, it’s originally from Mexico and now widely grown in South America, Indonesia, and China. Vanilla can be bought as whole pods, in powder form, or as a liquid extract, and is the second most expensive spice after saffron as growing the vanilla seedpods is labour-intensive.